Guided online treatment in routine mental health care: an observational study on uptake, drop-out and effects.

Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

Authors

  • Robin Kenter
  • Lisanne Warmerdam
  • Christine Brouwer-Dudokdewit
  • Pim Cuijpers
  • Annemieke Van Straten
Background
Due to limited resources patients in the Netherlands often have to wait for a minimum of six weeks after registration for mental health care to receive their first treatment session. Offering guided online treatment might be an effective solution to reduce waiting time and to increase patient outcomes at relatively low cost. In this study we report on uptake, drop-out and effects of online problem solving treatment that was implemented in a mental health center.

Methods
We studied all 104 consecutive patients aged 18–65 years with elevated symptoms of depression, anxiety and/or burnout who registered at the center during the first six months after implementation. They were offered a five week guided online treatment. At baseline, five weeks and twelve weeks we measured depressive (BDI-II), anxiety (HADS-A) and burnout symptoms (MBI).

Results
A total of 55 patients (53%) agreed to start with the online treatment. Patients who accepted the online treatment were more often female, younger and lower educated than those who refused. There were no baseline differences in clinical symptoms between the groups. There were large between group effect sizes after five weeks for online treatment for depression (d = 0.94) and anxiety (d = 1.07), but not for burnout (d = −.07). At twelve weeks, when both groups had started regular face-to-face treatments, we no longer found significant differences between the groups, except for anxiety (d = 0.69).

Conclusion
The results of this study show that the majority of patients prefer online guided online treatment instead of waiting for face-to-face treatment. Furthermore, online PST increases speed of recovery and can therefore be offered as a first step of treatment in mental healthcare.
Original languageEnglish
Article number43
JournalBMC Psychiatry
Volume13
Number of pages8
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 31.01.2013

    Research areas

  • Health sciences - E-mental health, implementation, mental healthcare, Depression, Anxiety, Burnout

Documents

DOI

Recently viewed

Publications

  1. Heaven and Earth – Cloud and Territory in the Internet
  2. Textsortenspezifische sprachliche Variation ermitteln
  3. Beschwerde, Ombudschaft und die Kinder- und Jugendhilfe
  4. Der Frankfurter und Homburger Freundeskreis (1796 - 1800)
  5. Consumerist lifestyles in the context of globalization
  6. Rollstuhlrugby - Kurzportrait einer spannenden Sportart
  7. Das gegliederte Schulwesen aus anthropologischer Sicht
  8. Carbon Management Accounting and Reporting in Practice
  9. Editorial zum Schwerpunktthema "Medien statt Gedächtnis"
  10. Geography and the maritime potential of China and Iran
  11. Selbstreflexion akademischen Schreibhandelns anstoßen
  12. Ecological-economic modeling for biodiversity management
  13. Generative Phänomenologie in feministischer Perspektive
  14. Die Verpackungsverordnung aus umweltökonomischer Sicht
  15. Public responses to climate change and low-carbon energy
  16. Risalendo alla Fonte Castalia tra Arte, Storia e Scienza
  17. Personalstruktur und Typenzwang im Hochschulrahmenrecht
  18. Schreiben und Medien - Medienspezifische Schreibprozesse
  19. Influence of Different Biogenic Fuels on Base Oil Aging
  20. Validität des NEPS-Mathematiktests für die neunte Klasse
  21. Bewegte Sprache – Ein Leben mit und für Mehrsprachigkeit
  22. Systematic feature evaluation for gene name recognition
  23. Multimediale Lernumgebungen für das Fremdsprachenlernen
  24. Russland: Energieeffizienz und Klimaschutz kommen zu kurz
  25. Divergent Perceptions of Peace in Post-Conflict Societies:
  26. Harnessing place attachment for local climate mitigation?
  27. Kompetenzen und Bildung für eine nachhaltige Entwicklung
  28. Origins and practices of genetic risk and responsibility
  29. Modell „Phasen und Handlungen akademischer Textproduktion“
  30. Die Nihilisierung des Nihilismus - Alfred Seidel (1895-1924)